and putting your sinful hearts into his hand, with every foe that he may destroy them, and subject them to himself: "As for those mine enemies," saith he, "who would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither, and slay them before my face," Luke xix. 27. For this David prayed, Psalm xix. 13, 14.(c) It is your duty to acknowledge him as your Lord by intrusting your own, and his church's cause to him, even when it appears exceedingly gloomy, considering that he will order mat ers aright Why dost thou cry aloud? is there no king in thee? is try counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail," Micha iv. 9.

4. Commend him also to others that they may love him, and may also surrender themselves to him, in order to serve him, like the spouse, Song v. 10-16, which had such an effect, that the daughters of Jerusalem would also seek him, Song vi. 1, for "in the multitude of people is the king's honour," saith Solomon, Prov. xiv. 28. Ought not every subject of the King then, whose glory is the glory of his people, endeavour to procure people for him, and encourage every one to join himself to this King? We ought not to be content, that we ourselves have been favoured and honoured by him, but we ought to bring others also to him, as Andrew brought his brother Peter, and Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus, who also acknowledged him to be the Son of God, and the King of Israel, John i. 40-49. We ought all of us to "bring forth twins, and there ought not to be one barren among us," as it is said concerning the spiritual sheep, Song vi. 6.

5. Triumph and rejoice also in him, since he, who is the Son of God, is also your king. Therefore the Lord said, Jer. ix. 23, 24. "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth, glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord." To this ye are exhorted, Psalm cxlix. 2. "Let Israel rejoice in him that made him; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King." Therefore he sends his servants to you," who say to Zion, Thy God reign eth," Isaiah lii. 7.

It is true, his glory, and your happiness and triumphing in and through him are not perceived so much at present: but when the curtains of darkness, of gin, adversity and mortality shall be drawn, then will he appear in all his brightness to your joy: yea, then will the King say to them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Amen.

Rr

THE INCARNATION

OF

THE SON OF GOD.

XIV. LORD'S DAY.

Philip. ii. 6, 7. Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.

Q. 35. What is the meaning of these words, " He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary?

A. That God's eternal Son, who is and continueth true and eternal God, took upon him the very nature of man, of the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, by the operation of the Holy Ghost; that he might also be the true seed of David, like unto his brethren in all things, sin excepted.

Q. 36. What profit dost thou then receive by Christ's holy concep tion and nativity?

A. That he is the Mediator; and with his innocence and perfect holiness, covers in the sight of God my sins, wherein I was conceived and brought forth.

AMONG the several great promises of the Lord God to his

ancient people concerning the Messiah, who was to come, this was

:

particularly emphatical, that " a Redeemer should come unto Zion," Isaiah lix. 20. The Lord had ordered in the civil law, which he gave to Israel, that the nearest kinsman should be the redeemer of his brother, who was therefore obliged, besides other duties, to redeem the possession of his brother, when it was sold, and also his person from slavery, and to avenge his blood, which was shed. The Messiah should also be such a Redeemer; not with respect to a bodily redemption, this was too ignoble for him; the redemption which he obtains is "an eternal redemption," Heb ix. 12. Those whom he should redeem had lost their eternal inheritance, they were slaves to the devil and to sin, and therefore slain with respect to their souls. If he should then redeem them, he behooved to be greater than those redeemers, yea, even their God and Lord: therefore the Father promiseth "that he would redeem his people by the Lord their God," Hosea i. 7. He ought indeed to possess an infinite power, if he should destroy the works of the devil, bind him, and spoil his goods, thus taking vengeance of him but this alone was not enough, he behooved also to pay the price of redemption, which was more precious than perishable things, silver, or gold, it could be effected only by the precious blood of a Lamb without blemish, and without spot and it was therefore necessary, that he should also be man, and indeed man of man, more especially since he was obliged to be the nearest kinsman and brother, if he should be a Redeemer. Therefore the Lord, when he promiseth that the Redeemer should come to Zion, intimates that he would send him in the flesh, and that he should become man, and that he should therefore redeem Zion, as the ancient redeemers redeemed their brethren; which the Lord also fulfilled, when he appointed his Son to become man. The apostle having respect to this man- ner of redeeming, said therefore concerning him, Heb. ii. 11, 14, 15. "For both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same: that he through death might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them, who through fear of death, are all their lifetime subject to bondage." Having shown how necessary it was for the Mediator and Redeemer to be God and man in one person, in the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth questions, the instructor explaining the doctrine of redemption, shows therefore that the Redeemer Jesus Christ, is not only the Son of God, and thus very God, in the thirteenth Lord's day, but also that he is man, made like his brethren in all things, sin excepted, in this fourteenth Lord's day.

There are two particulars here, that require our explanation,
I. The nature of Christ's incarnation, Question 35.

II. The advantage which results from it, Question 36.. I. We have an explanation of the nature of Christ's incarnation in the thirty-fifth question: with respect to which we learn, (a) who became incarnate, or man, (b) the nature of his manhood, (c) of whom he received his manhood, (d) by whose operation, (e) in what manner, and (f) to what end he became incarnate, or man.

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A. It is inquired in the first place who became incarnate or man. It is said in general, that " God was manifested in the flesh," 1 Tim. iii. 16. It was not the essence of God; for he who became man is Mediator between God and man, which could not be, if the whole essence became man: but it was one of the divine Persons, who became man: "he who was in the form of God, and was equal to God, took upon himself the form of a servant," Phil. ii 6, 7. But it was neither the Father, nor the Holy Ghost, who became man.. but the Son only; for "God sent forth his Son, made of a woman," Gal. iv. 4. And so the nstructor saith that the eternal Son of God, He is who is and continueth true and eternal God, became man. indeed God, co-essential with the Father and the Holy Ghost, as we have proved on the foregoing Lord's day; it doth not however follow therefore, that the Father and the Holy Ghost, who are co-essential with the Son, became man, because the Godhead of the Son, which is also the Godhead of the Father and of the Holy Ghost, did not become man, but the Person of the Son. For although the Father and the Holy Ghost prepared a body for him, according to Heb. x. 5. Luke i, 35, nevertheless the Son alone took upon himself the nature of man, and united it to himself.

Although it proceeded only from the free good pleasure of God, that the son was made man, we may however learn from the consequences how well this became God, and how proper it was; for, (a) as he was the Son of God, he could be sent by the Father, and also himself send the Holy Spirit, Gal. iv. 4, 5, 6. (b) As he was the personal Word of God, God could speak by him to us, and also reveal his secrets to us by him, John i. 1. iii. 34. Heb. i. 1. (c) As man was created by him, therefore man could also be new-created by him, Eph. ii. 10. (d) As he is the Son of God by nature, he can also make us the sons of God by grace, Gal. iv. 4, 5. (e) He who is the image of the invisible God, can restore us after the image of God Col. iv. 19. (f) Thus also the love of God appears in the highest degree, that he sends his Son for the salvation of sinners, John ili. 16.

B. The second particular that requires our consideration with respect to the incarnation of Christ is the nature of his manhood. Of this the instructor saith, that he took on him the very nature of man. This was opposed by many erroneous spirits in the early ages of Christianity. The followers of Mareion, Manes and Cerdo, asserted that Christ was man only in appearance. The Arians said indeed that he had a real body, but they imagined that it was a body without a soul, and that instead of a human soul, an excellent spirit was created for him, before the creation of the world. And the Apollinarists held that his Godhead served him instead of a soul. But the word of God teacheth us that he hath a real and perfect human nature. For,

1. He is such a man as we are; "in all things like his brethren," Heb. ii. 17. Yea, he is opposed to a mere appearance, as he himself proved to his apostles, when "they supposed they had seen a spirit," Luke xxiv. 37-43.

2. He hath the constituent parts of a man, to wit, a human body, and a human soul: his body was born, it grew, was seen and handled by men; we cannot doubt that he had a soul; for he came to give his soul a ransom for many," Matt. xx. 28.

3. All that can be said of a man as man is found in him; for besides his birth, growth, conversation with men, and other particulars of this kind, he was also, like men, hungry and thirsty, he wept, complained, was weary, and rested. He had a human understanding, will, and affections; he loved, was angry, rejoiced and was sorry, as the evangelical historians inform us.

4. He was a man of man, of the same human race with other men: "For he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one; as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also took part of the same," Heb. ii. 11, 14. Therefore he is also called "the seed of the woman," Gen. iii. 15, "the seed of Abraham," Gen. xxii. 18, compared with Gal. iii. 16. He is said to "have been of the seed of David according to the flesh," Rom i. 3, "the fruit of the loins of David," Acts ii. 30, "a son of man," Mat. xvi. 13, "a son of Mary," Matt. i. 18. "He was conceived in her," Matt. i. 20. "He is the fruit of her body," Luke i. 42. Was made of her," Gal. iv. 4, and "was born of her," Matt. i. 16,

What can be objected against this, but what is exceedingly trifling, as that he was sent in the likeness of sinful flesh," Rom. viii. 3, and that "he was made like men," Philip. ii. 7. But it is easy to comprehend, that this doth not disprove, but rather evince that he was a real man, as he was in all things made like us, Heb.